The Sweetness of ‘Barfi’ is Magical

by tybmmjourno

Some thought of Barfi to be an average love story that will do an OKAY job at the box office, but this film happens to be a surprise package. Anurag Basu has the potential of amazing you with every movie he does. With this film his talent comes to the fore very evidently. Barfi is a beautifully woven love triangle in its ‘purest form’, an unusual one with a mixture of ingredients- Comedy, Romance, Grief, a little bit of Suspense and the garnish of a ‘Happy Ending’. The story jumps from one time period to another. Anurag Basu has managed to do it wonderfully, in a manner that was not like a halting story but one with a flow. Somehow, the parts of the story are interconnected and not in a way that would confuse the audience. Brownie Points for that!

The film revolves around a speech-and-hearing challenged boy Murphy, which he pronounces as Barfi, who falls in love with a pretty young girl, Shruti (Illeana). After spending time with her and showing her a part of life she did not expect to see, they do end up not being together as she is engaged. He then falls in love with Jhilmil, an Autistic. Despite their disabilities they manage to communicate and create a special bond. The story moves from being a love story to a mysterious middle and ‘Live and Die together’ ending. The ending may seem to be a sad one from Shruti’s point of view but from Barfi’s view it’s a happy one.

In the film, one thing you may notice evidently is the flawless effort of Ranbir as a jovial lad- who tries to make and keep everyone happy. Be it at times, when he is hurt or heartbroken he still puts a smile on his face. When he does something that may be ethically wrong- like theft or entering a goods train to give the goods away to the poor, it does not seem wrong at all. His optimism despite the shortcomings make him unique and special.

Ranbir and Priyanka’s act leaves you speechless. Illeana D’cruz, who makes her debut with this film, has done a great job as an actress and also as a narrator. She successfully leads the story and not get overshadowed by her co-stars, who are established actors. The film manages to keep you spellbound in its world. What makes this film a rather different one is that this is a love story of two people, who cannot communicate in the way you and I would usually.

Highlights of the film:

The opening scene where Ranbir tries to run away from the cops reminds you of Charlie Chaplin. That’s how well he essayed his character.

The scene where Ranbir expresses how hurt he is through hand gestures to Illeana- is done so perfectly that one can understand each and every word he would say if he could.

Reasons to watch this movie:

If you are a Ranbir fan, then this is a must watch, as his ability of making you cry with what he is trying to say even without saying is applaud able. His eyes express grief, anger and happiness brilliantly.

Priyanka’s acting is completely different from the glam roles she did in the past. You get to see the potential of the actress here.

This film has a good chance of being the movie of the year. With the splendid performance by Ranbir and especially Priyanka, whose role was a much more difficult one than Ranbir’s, the actors have created a standard and set the bar high not only for others but also for themselves.